Changing the Battlefield Geometry of the JOPP: Accounting for Local Populations as the Third Force in the Operational Environment through the Institution of the Green Cell

摘要

Despite the U.S. military's increased emphasis on cultural awareness and population-centric warfare as a result of lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Joint Operation Planning Process (JOPP) fails to account fully for the inherent power, influence and effects the actions of the local populace in a conflict have on U.S. military operations. Although populations are examined during the Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (JIPOE), the results are typically illustrated in the form of human terrain maps or cultural products which identify population centers in terms of key terrain. Therefore, planning staffs view the local populace as a physical space or human terrain in which blue forces and red forces maneuver within to achieve their objectives. Unfortunately, this practice limits effective planning, for the population is not assessed as a credible actor or groups of actors with operational capabilities. In order for the JOPP to be an effective tool for operational planning throughout all phases of warfare and across the spectrum of violence, it must be modified to incorporate a planning cell, or Green Cell, that considers the local populace as a third force or combination of multiple forces within the operational environment that act in their own interests, react and counteract to U.S. military operations, as well as to the actions of the enemy force. To address this shortfall, this paper recommends the Marine Corps new doctrinal concept called the 'Green Cell' be incorporated into the JOPP. An operational planning cell led by a Foreign Area Officer, the Green Cell maintains the cultural expertise required to modify traditional battlefield geometry during the JOPP, and consider the populace as a third force in order to determine the most effective employment of joint forces to achieve U.S. strategic and operational objectives.